Mourinho believes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is going to be a fantastic event
Jose Mourinho is impressed by the detail in which Qatar have planned for the 2022 World Cup after his personal tour of the country with Chief of Tournament Readiness & Experience Group Nasser Al Khater.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager feels that any doubts he had in his mind regarding Qatar 2022 have been removed by his trip to the country.
“I’m very impressed. Knowing the country, I cannot say I am very surprised because I was expecting something amazing. But there were some question marks that a football manager can have before he understands all of the dynamic – and that is what makes me really amazed by the level of organisation,” he told sc.qa.
“I believe that many of us in Europe, players, coaches, clubs – we had some question marks – but when you arrive here you don’t have question marks anymore.”
“The facilities are amazing. They have thought about every detail. The number of training places for all the teams, the beauty and security of all the stadiums, the short distances between every stadium, no travelling – the teams can stay for a month in the same training ground without moving.
The scorching heat in the Middle East has always been a problem for the footballers but Mourinho believes that the weather won’t be much of an issue.
“The weather won’t be so hard…so I think it’s going to be a fantastic event. I just hope that the football itself can give this amazing organisation what you deserve.”
“I’m so positively surprised. I expect that [in 2022] I’m going to be a club coach, and then I will probably be not so happy that in the middle of the season my players are travelling to the World Cup, but I have to admit the event has everything to be amazing.”
The 2022 World Cup is scheduled to be held in the month of November and Mourinho, who expects to be coaching a club by that time, feels that he won’t be happy to see his players travel midway through the season.
“I’m so positively surprised. I expect that [in 2022] I’m going to be a club coach, and then I will probably be not so happy that in the middle of the season my players are travelling to the World Cup, but I have to admit the event has everything to be amazing.”
Mourinho also feels that the footballers won’t have to travel too much around the country due to the proximity of the venues at which the games will be held.
“Even in pre-season for us in Europe, which is a small period, we don’t like to travel – we like to have a base. But because of commercial reasons, we are always travelling. We always try to reduce the travelling time, and find the right facility.
“I think this is going to be the first time that everyone chooses their location, their hotel, their training ground – and that will be your home until you are knocked out, or you go home with the cup. That is unreal, even at club level. It is fantastic. ”
